Please ensure that you read the following booking conditions carefully, as they form the contract between the group and The School Tour Company.
1. Booking
Your booking is made with The School Tour Company (the Company) at the address of 4th/5th Floor, 121/122 Capel Street, Dublin 1, D01 V3P0, Ireland.
You are authorising The School Tour Company to act as your agent and we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the provider (travel provider) of the travel related service, including among others, airlines, hotels, insurance companies, coach hire companies, transfer companies and various destination management companies.
You are bound by the travel provider’s terms and conditions of booking. We are acting as your agent in arranging your booking and the travel provider is the principal or the agent to the principal. A contract will only exist when we have received the required first deposit amount per student and have acknowledged receipt of this, sent you your confirmation letter and booking form. This form needs to be signed by the group leader and returned to us as soon as you receive it. On signing the booking form the group leader is accepting the following conditions on behalf of all members of the group. Once we receive the signed booking form, all aspects of your booking are formalised.
The group leader will be our point of contact, unless we are advised otherwise. The terms of the contract are to be interpreted under and are subject to the laws of the Republic of Ireland.
2. Deposits/Payment
The full deposit amount is generally €300 per student and the deposit is non-refundable. Full payment is required 12 weeks prior to departure date. The passport name and date of birth for all passengers that are travelling will be required at the time of booking. Higher or lower deposits may be required depending on the destination and overall cost of the tour and the cost of the airline seats. You will be advised of deposit amounts in your quotation.
Deposits are non-refundable (unless the cancellation is covered by insurance). Deposits can be paid in cash, by cheque, bank transfer or by using the online payment portal. You will be provided with a booking reference number should you wish to pay online. All cheques are to be made payable to ‘The School Tour Company’.
Full payment is required 12 weeks prior to departure date. The group leader will receive all invoices applicable to the tour and final payment date will be clearly indicated. If we do not receive full payment by this date then we reserve the right to charge applicable cancellation charges as outlined in condition 6. We will not be in a position to pay final balances to our suppliers if we have not received your final payment and this could put certain aspects of your tour in jeopardy.
3. Passenger names
For groups paying online then it is the responsibility of the person who enters the student’s information, on the payment portal at the time of booking, to ensure that the passenger name and date of birth are correct. If paying by cheque/ETB/bank transfer then it is the group leaders responsibility to ensure that all passenger names provided to us at the time of booking are as per passport and they must be sent via email. If any changes are to be made once airline seats have been purchased then name change fees will apply, see condition 7(a).
4. Insurance Cover
Insurance cover is included for every passenger, unless you have indicated otherwise. Insurance cover commences from the moment we receive your deposits. If our travel insurance is not taken then we need confirmation in writing that another travel insurance scheme will be covering the tour arrangements.
5. Price changes
All tour prices are based on the current exchange rates that apply at time of booking. The Company reserves the right to pass on any increase due to currency fluctuations with exchange rates once the increase exceeds 2%. You will be notified before your final payment is due. In addition, the Company reserves the right to pass on any increases due to the introduction of any new tax or levy enforced by the Government in the Republic of Ireland or abroad or an increase in an existing tax or levy, or any increase in fuel surcharges which are outside of our control. The Company reserve the right to surcharge for any increases mentioned above at any time up until final balance due date (12 weeks prior to departure).
6. Cancellations
The group leader must advise the Company by email as soon as they receive a cancellation. Cancellation of a booking is effective only once it has been received in writing to the Company from the group leader and any cancellation charges will be calculated from this date. Deposits are non-refundable but can be transferred to a replacement passenger, where an applicable name change fee may apply. Our cancellation charges are as follows:
29 – 56 days prior to departure – 80% of the tour price.
28 or less prior to departure – 100% of the tour price.
Many reasons for cancellation (other than disinclination to travel) are covered by our insurance cover, please check our insurance booklet. If the reason is insurable, a cancellation invoice will be sent to the insurance company and full money will be refunded minus the premium and excess charge. Please note that cancellations could increase your tour price if it affects the student/teacher ratio.
7. Alterations to your tour
(a) By the Group Leader
Should the group leader wish to make any changes to their tour then the Company must be notified as soon as possible. Changes can only be made once they have been confirmed by the group leader to the Company in writing. We will endeavour to make the changes, if they are practical, at a minimal cost; however this is dependent on costs imposed by our suppliers at the time of change. Please be aware that if there are any changes requested to be made to airline dates/routes or names then substantial costs may be incurred by the airlines. Name change fees are strictly enforced by all airlines and these can vary depending on the airline.The passenger that is cancelling from the tour is obliged to pay this fee for their replacement or if it is in error then the passenger/group leader is obliged to pay same. Name changes must be confirmed in writing. If the group leader wishes to add extra passengers to the group then the Company will try their best to facilitate you. Please note that surcharges may apply due to increased airfares etc.
(b) By the Company
While the Company’s aim is to satisfy your requirements and expectations from the time of booking, occasionally we have to make alterations to your tour due to changing circumstances and we reserve the right to do so at any time. If any changes have to be made to your tour the Company will advise you as soon as possible and endeavour to ensure that the same standards are met and a satisfactory alternative is provided. In the unlikely event of the group leader not being satisfied with alternative arrangements that the Company have been obliged to make, then a full refund of all monies will be given, except if the changes are due to circumstances outlined in condition 8.
(c) Changes by airlines
Any change in departure or arrival airport and flight schedule will not entitle you to cancel or change other arrangements. Refund and booking conditions for that particular airline will prevail. Please note that a change of airport, airline or flight time of less than 5 hours is not deemed as a significant change.
8. Events beyond the Company’s control
We regret that we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where unforeseeable events, outside the Company’s control, prevent contractual obligations being carried out. War, threats of war, natural or nuclear disaster, volcano eruptions, ‘force majeure’, closure of airports/ ports, terrorism, pandemics, political unrest, industrial disputes, adverse weather conditions, technical faults or accidents involving transport, fires and ‘acts of God’ are all classed as events outside of the Company’s control. If any of these unlikely events occur we may have to cancel or rearrange your tour. We cannot guarantee any refunds will be made unless we are able to obtain refunds from our suppliers.
8.1. Visa Requirements
All Visa requirements are the responsibility of the passenger and they should make contact with the Embassy of the country they are travelling to in plenty of time before travel. This also applies to the ESTA application for travel to the USA. The Company will accept no responsibility if you are refused boarding at any airport due to the fact that you do not have the correct Visa and documentation in place to travel.
9. Special Requests
Special requests (e.g. dietary requirements) must be made in writing and shall be communicated by the Company to the relevant supplier. The Company shall use reasonable endeavours to fulfil such requests. No liability shall attach to the Company for failure to comply with a special request and such requests do not form part of this contract.
10. Complaints/Difficulties while on tour
Should the group leader have any complaints before or while on tour you are asked to contact the Company using the contact details you have been provided with.
If any difficulties are experienced while travelling or when abroad then the emergency numbers must be used to inform the Company of these difficulties in order to rectify the situation as soon as possible. If the group leader is unhappy with a particular aspect of your tour we ask you to contact the supplier on the emergency numbers you may have for them in your travel documents e.g. coach company, hotel agent. If problems are not discussed with them at the time suppliers are reluctant to help with the complaint when the group are back in Ireland, as they would not have had the opportunity to resolve the problem at the time. If the difficulty you have encountered cannot be rectified then contact the Company’s emergency number/office number in order for us to liaise with suppliers involved.
If the matter is not resolved or cannot be resolved while you are on tour then it must be sent to us in writing no later than 28 days from returning from your tour, as the Company will not accept liability for any complaints received outside this period. In the unlikely event that an agreed settlement for a dispute or complaint cannot be reached then we refer you to the special Arbitrations Scheme detailed in condition 11.
11. Arbitration
Any dispute or difference of any kind whatsoever which arises or occurs between any of the parties hereto in relation to anything or matter arising under, out of or in connection with the contract and/or the booking connected to this contract shall be referred to arbitration under the Arbitration Rules of the Charted Institute of Arbitrators – Irish Branch. Full details of this scheme are available on request. Neither the Company or the group leader has the right of Appeal except the High Court on a point of Law.
Alternatively, claims for less than the jurisdiction of the District Court Small Claims Procedure per booking form may be pursued through the District Court Small Claims Procedure. All claims in excess of the jurisdiction of the District Court Small Claims Procedure shall be referred to arbitration.
12. Liability
Every effort will be made to ensure the smooth running of your tour and that all arrangements are made accurately.
We accept full responsibility if any of the services provided to you are not handled correctly by our employees and for any element of the tour arrangements which are under our direct control.
We will only accept responsibility for any personal illness, injury or death which results from the negligence of our employees, or any of our suppliers providing services on our behalf. We cannot be held responsible for the loss of enjoyment and/or additional expenses, which are caused by events beyond the Company’s control (condition 8) and could result in travel arrangements being changed.
13. Data Protection
The Company is committed to protecting your personal information. Any contact details supplied will only be used for administration purposes by the Company. On occasion we will have to provide personal information to our suppliers and agents in order to enhance the tour service. Please note that airlines are required by new laws introduced in the United States and other countries to give border control agencies access to passenger data. Accordingly any information the Company has regarding any passengers travel arrangements may be disclosed to the customs and immigration. Please see our GDPR section on the website for further information.